Imam removed after 'Haider' role, sends legal notice to maker

Imam removed after 'Haider' role, sends legal notice to maker
Friday, January 30, 2015 12:42 IST
An Imam, who appeared in a small role in Vishal Bhardwaj's Kashmir-set film 'Haider', has been sacked by the management committee of the mosque over a marriage scene.

Ghulam Hassan Shah claimed he was tricked into performing the 'nikah' scene in the Bollywood film and has now sent a legal notice to Bhardwaj, also the producer of the movie, demanding an apology and Rs 50 lakh in compensation. Shah, a resident of Qazigund in Anantnag district, had been leading the prayers at a mosque in Nowhatta area of the city for the past eight years.

"The management committee of the mosque sacked me... I was tricked as I was told that the footage will be used for educational purposes. I did not know that it was being used in the movie," Shah told PTI today.

The 65-year-old man has engaged a lawyer and sent a legal notice to Bhardwaj. "You had told my client that the footage of the nikah reading ceremony would be used for educational purposes. But you really intended to utilise the footage for 'Haider', which to the least is obnoxious," Shah's lawyer Firdous Ahmad said in the notice.


The notice asks Bhardwaj, 49, to publish an apology in the "national press on at least three occasions if the facts stated in the legal notice are accurate". The notice also demands Bhardwaj to pay Rs 50 lakh in damages to Shah. 'Haider', starring Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon and based on William Shakespeare's tragedy 'Hamlet', is set amidst the early days of militancy in Kashmir. The film hit theatres on October 2 last year.
Alaya F Gives Big Shoutout To RajKummar Rao, Manushi Chhillar's Maalik!

RajKummar Rao and Manushi Chhillar, who are coming together for the first time, are creating excitement

Thursday, June 12, 2025
Balika Vadhu Star Avika Gor Gets Engaged to Milind Chandwani: Meet the Man Who Won Her Heart!

Avika Gor, who stole hearts as the innocent Anandi in Balika Vadhu, has just stepped into an exciting new

Thursday, June 12, 2025
Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh Streaming On Jiohotstar From This Date!

After a commanding run at the theatres, Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh will

Thursday, June 12, 2025
Kriti Sanon's Not-So-Regular Green Tea Moment Sparks Buzz - Is a Wellness Disruption Brewing?

Kriti Sanon has once again sent her fans into a frenzy — this time, not with a blockbuster film or fashion

Thursday, June 12, 2025
Zee Music Company honoured with YouTube's prestigious Red Diamond Play Button for crossing 100 million subscribers!

Zee Music Company, one of India’s leading music labels, surpassed the extraordinary milestone of

Thursday, June 12, 2025